ECONOMY, SOCIETY AND CULTURE IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY GOLCONDA BY W.H. MORELAND [HARDCOVER]

This book discusses the socio-economic, cultural and mercantile history of the Golconda kingdom in the seventeenth century, ruled under the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The work is divided into three parts: the first part contains a description by the English merchant and colonial administrator in India, William Metwold; the second part is by a Dutch explorer, Antony Schorer, which is translated from Dutch; and the third part is by an anonymous writer. Perhaps, this is one of the few European accounts that describe Qutb Shahi’s reign. The first part of the volume deals with the Portuguese, Dutch, and English establishments and trade during the seventeenth century in the territories under the Golconda kingdom. Much to the surprise of many, it covers the diamond mines, followed by trade relations with the South East Asian regions, such as Sumatra, Pegu, Arakan, Tenasserim, etc. Schorer’s Dutch treatise covers the trading port cities of Masulipatnam, Tegenampatnam, Pulicat, and Narasapur. It also covers the commercial and mercantile activities of these four regions, where factory products and the economy are widely discussed. The last part of the book deals with the history of the Qutb Shahi Sultanate. It covers the decline of Portuguese trade, followed by architectural sites like temples and forts, the administrative system, topography, and the history of crimes and punishments. Common to Metwold and Schorer’s narratives, there is a discussion on the socio-religious and cultural aspects of the Golconda kingdom, which includes its customs, practices, and rituals followed by the Hindus and Muslims. About the Author William Harrison Moreland, ICS (1868-1938), was an Irish economic historian specializing in the Indian subcontinent. Moreland served as the Director of Land Records and Agriculture in the United Provinces in 1899. He is the author of several books, including Jahangir’s India: The Remonstrantie of Francisco Pelsaert; The Revenue Administration of the United Provinces; India at the Death of Akbar; From Akbar to Aurangzeb: A Study in Indian Economic History and The Agrarian System of Moslem India.